Exams: make a decision!

Friday 02 October 2020

Schools and Ministers are calling on the UK Government to make a decision on next year's A-Level and GCSE exams to relieve student anxiety and avoid another last-minute fiasco.

Some university Vice-Chancellors have called for A-Level exams to be scrapped as the pandemic continues and for the school year to be extended until July to give students more learning time.

In an open letter published in The Times, they added that the exam system would be replaced by individual teacher assessment across the year, guided by “a robust moderation approach.”

The idea has been supported by Lord Kenneth Baker, who was part of the Government who introduced GCSEs. However, the UK Department of Education say they expect exams to go ahead, though noted there may be delays to the exam timetable.

Jack Duncan, a student currently at Hautlieu School, said he agreed with the Vice Chancellors’ proposal. 

"I think that it would be most beneficial if A Levels in 2021 were cancelled and that centre-assessed grades like this year would be brought back,” he said.

“It eliminates the problem associated with potentially not having enough time to study all aspects of the course due to this year's lockdown and further potential lockdowns in the coming terms."

Pictured: Jack Duncan, a student at Hautlieu, said he agreed that exams should be replaced by centre-assessed grades for 2021's marking.

Jack also highlighted the discrepancies for certain institutions in the UK, pointing out that some "schools haven't re-opened since March and some have, making it unfair that some have had the opportunity to work and some others, so accommodations need to be made to work for those most affected and not the least. 

“Moreover, delaying the exams into mid July (the latest possible without impacting the academic year starting September 2021), will not do enough without at least cutting aspects of the course, considering around 3 months have been lost, not 3 weeks. It also means that there is a significant reduction in time preparing for leaving for university too, which is what the post-Year 13 summer is for, for most. 

Jack added he had spoken with a number of teachers at the school who he could not name, who agreed with him on the subject. 

Speaking to Express on dealing with grades in this year's uncertain climate, Jersey's Assistant Education Minister, Deputy Jeremy Maçon, said “from a personal view, I think this year has shown teacher assessment to be better”, pointing out the difficulties around marking students with an algorithm which he felt “missed students’ performances.”

Pictured: Two UK Vice-Chancellors are calling for A-Level exams to be scrapped altogether, saying that "students need all the time for learning they can get."

However, he highlighted that the decision was predominantly out of Jersey’s hands, saying “we effectively plug into the UK system and we don’t have control over the regulation – Ofqual do that.”

He noted too that it was a real loss for students having the usual A-Level process interrupted by covid, expressing that he felt that the balance of exams and teacher assessments offered in a typical year gave “a much more rounded picture.”

St Saviour Deputy and former schoolteacher, Jess Perchard, warned that schools needed urgent clarity for 2021’s grading, saying that “this year was problematic for both students and staff because decisions were made by overnight to move from exam board given grades to teacher assessments - that can’t happen again.”

“Students and staff need certainty on what is going to happen and they need it now. Teachers plan for exam classes a year in advance; already, A-Level classes will be underway and a scheme of learning will have been drawn up to take our students up to their exams. If exams are not going to go ahead, schools must be told right now." 

Pictured: Deputy Jess Perchard stated that any changes to the system needed to be urgently conveyed to students and staff.

She continued: “if it is to be based on teacher assessments, teachers need an extra inset day in the next couple of weeks to rework their schemes and understand how to carry out the assessments.

“If the change is coming, it needs to be known this month - it’s already almost too late for this. However, teachers are trained to be able to adapt and with appropriate notice and assessment training and time allocated to the preparation, they could be ready to take this on. It’s a huge ask and that must be understood.

In regards to the Vice-Chancellors' suggestions, Deputy Perchard said she had her reservations: "I’m in favour of teacher assessments if done well, appropriately moderated, but it’s a very complicated move and needs careful planning and thought. Anything that increases teacher autonomy in the classroom is a good thing because they are professionals with years of training who have the capacity to create learning content tied to specified outcomes. What troubles me is that this proposal hasn’t been driven by a reflection on pedagogy and ideal learning environments; it’s been driven by the pandemic.”

Jersey College for Girls Principal Carl Howarth echoed Deputy Perchard's wish for the UK Government to give a definitive statement on how students can prepare for assessment, saying: “There is much speculation at a political and personal level regarding whether the GCSE and A-Level exams in the summer 2021 will go ahead and if they do what the format or content will be.

"This speculation only increases the anxiety for our students."

Pictured: Assistant Education Minister, Jeremy Maçon, said that he felt teacher assessment to be a better way of assessing grades during covid.

He continued: “Given the chaos and upset of last year, what our students and their teachers need now is certainty. While covid makes many things uncertain, I do hope the UK Government will soon announce their plan for the summer.   

“Our students want to do their exams because they are working hard for them and they want to have the opportunity to show their efforts. Whatever the Government plan is we will ensure our students are ready and prepared.”

A Government of Jersey spokesperson reiterated that the United Kingdom will ultimately be in control of the decision.

Pictured: JCG Principal Carl Howarth said that what "students and their teachers need now is certainty."

A spokesperson said: “The A-Level qualifications that students take in Jersey are the same as those taken in England. 

“The qualification providers and regulators work with the Department for Education in England to set the assessment processes for the awarding of grades, which are the same in Jersey as they are in England.  

“Jersey cannot alter processes or timelines that are set by the qualification regulators, to protect the integrity and validity of these national qualifications.

“CYPES officials continue to closely monitor developments in examination arrangement, as they have throughout the pandemic, to best advise Jersey’s students and schools.”